Adhyaya 213
Chapter 213 — पृथ्वीदानानि (Gifts of the Earth)
Lord Agni begins a structured teaching on pṛthvī-dāna (the gift of Earth/land), presenting dāna as both an imitation of cosmic order and a ritual technology. He first defines the Earth by graded measures mapped up to Jambūdvīpa, and prescribes constructing an ideal “earth-model” with specified weights (e.g., bhāras of gold), using kūrma (tortoise) and padma (lotus) designs to signify cosmic support and auspicious unfolding. He then states the merit: the donor reaches Brahmaloka and rejoices with the Pitṛs, while Viṣṇu-centered gifting yields Kāmadhenu as a paradigmatic reward. The text extols go-dāna as the comprehensive gift (sarva-dāna) and adds high-merit donations—offering a kapilā cow before Viṣṇu for lineage deliverance, gifting an adorned woman for Aśvamedha-equivalent merit, and donating fertile land, villages, cities, or market-towns for prosperity and happiness. The chapter closes with the Kārttika bull-release (vṛṣotsarga) as a lineage-liberating rite, completing the arc from cosmic symbolism to social-economic dharma.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It prescribes graded standards and symbolic constructions for ‘gifting the Earth’ using precise measures and auspicious forms (kūrma/padma), and it links these gifts—along with land, cow, settlement, and bull-release rites—to lineage uplift and attainment of higher worlds such as Brahmaloka.
It treats dāna as a calibrated dharmic act: correct form, material measure, and devotional context (notably before Viṣṇu) convert wealth into merit, benefiting Pitṛs and lineage while orienting the donor toward higher loka-attainments and purified prosperity.